-----Original Message-----
From: Shomeir
Sent: Sunday, March 13, 2005 1:26 AM
To: House of Israel Newsgroup
Subject: Purim

Shalom friends,

Purim is coming up. Erev Purim will be on the 24th of March this year and Purim will be the 25th and 26th of March. Purim is to be a time of “feasting and merrymaking, and as an occasion for sending gifts to one another and presents to the poor.” [Esther 9:22]

When I was growing up, my Christian friends always felt sorry for me because I didn’t get Christmas gifts. What they didn’t realize is that there are several festivals in the Jewish year where gifts are given. Purim is one of these festivals where gifts are given to friends and family and to the poor. In Jewish tradition, it is not proper to give money as a gift (the exception to this is on Chanukah where money is the proper gift). The tradition for giving to the poor on Purim is to give gift baskets of food and sweets so that they can also celebrate on this day.

Though Purim is not a “high holy day” it is a time when a “megillah” (festival scroll) is read. The megillah for Purim is, of course, the book of Esther. Esther is one of the most interesting books of the Bible because it has all the elements of a good Hollywood screenplay. There is intrigue, suspense, heroism, humor, and most important of all the triumph of good over evil. Often in the reading of the megillah, character roles are assigned to readers and they get to act out the parts. The children get to cheer for the heroes and “boo” at the villains.

Purim is always celebrated on the 14th and 15th days of the last month of the sacred year; just one month before Passover.

Kol tov,
Shomeir